Harvest House

Meet Amber, Home Again Case Manager from Tampa, FL

Amber has always wanted to be a social worker since she was little; she says she has her mother to thank for that. “We were always volunteering somewhere – whether it was reading to the elderly at a local nursing home, working at a soup kitchen, or sponsoring a family’s gifts during the holiday season, my mom has this ‘get-it-done’ attitude.” Amber’s colleagues will agree that her ambition makes her a highly qualified case manager, and she adds a unique perspective to the HH Case Manager team. On top of an MS degree in Counseling and a BA in Social Work, she has 6 years of experience in the field including time as a Family Development Specialist licensing and maintaining foster care homes, as a Child Protection Investigator with the State of Tennessee, and an Family Intervention Specialist working with youth in Tennessee. Amber has made a huge difference in a lot of lives, but she isn’t ready to stop just yet.

As a Case Manager with the Home Again program since 2016, Amber helps about 50 families a year establish the foundation they need to transition from permanent supportive housing into a place of their own. While working with her clients, she often sees ways that their situations could have been prevented. “We need to get to them before they come here. Sometimes, it’s one moment in time that can change a person’s entire life. I worked with one client that was sex-trafficked to Tampa from the New England area at age 16. One circumstance changed her life forever. Many times, my clients are those that have aged out of the foster care system and/or were raised in a non-supportive environment usually involving domestic violence, sexual abuse, exploitation, neglect, abandonment – I mean, just horror stories. The majority of kids who age out of the foster care system don’t go to college even though it is free for them. Why? Because they don’t have a support system. They don’t have anyone showing them the way. Usually, a parent takes that roll in a young person’s life.

The influence of a role model is critical in a person’s life, and that’s exactly what Amber is to her clients. She helps them see a path to sustainability when they are working hard to make ends meet. She helps people envision the best life for themselves and their children and realize that their goals and dreams are attainable. Amber really helps Harvest House graduate clients with a wealth of knowledge, tools, confidence, and independence. “I’m really looking forward to doing more with Harvest House over the coming years to help develop more proactive responses unique to the specific needs of our clients, and I look forward to being a part of that 'moment in time’ circumstance that changes their lives forever.

Do you know someone whose life was changed in a blink of an eye? Or someone who has never had anyone believe in them before? Many of us have been there ourselves. Make a contribution to Harvest House and the Home Again program anytime between May 1st at Noon and May 2nd at Noon online at givingpartnerchallenge.org. Your donation will be matched up to $100, thanks to The Patterson Foundation.

Share this story and use the hashtags #GivingChallenge2018 #FindYourStorySRQ and #BeTheOne!

Many of you may remember Alexis from our Home Again Luncheon back in February of this year. Well, yesterday - Alexis won big! She was chosen as 1 of 5 seniors from Riverview High School to be honored by the Education Foundation of Sarasota County, Inc. and Sarasota County Schools at the annual Strive Awards Luncheon for "students who have made tremendous achievements while overcoming incredible odds." Each of the 25 seniors honored yesterday was awarded $2,500. Alexis was surprised at the end with a special recognition as 1 of 5 "Super Strivers" and got an opportunity to trade in her $2,500 check for a $5,000 check!

Alexis is a resident of our New Heights program for unaccompanied youth. We are so proud of this young woman! We LOVE watching her succeed and we know we'll have many more accomplishments to celebrate with her in the future. She will be graduating from Riverview High in three weeks and she plans to study Culinary Arts at Suncoast Technical College this coming fall.

Send all your love, blessings, and good vibes to Alexis as she continues her journey in life. Share, like, and love this post to show your support. #BeTheOne #FindYourStorySRQ

Do you want to contribute to the New Heights program and help more unaccompanied youth in our community? Save the date for the #GivingChallenge2018! On May 1 and 2 from noon to noon visit givingpartnerchallenge.org and search for "Harvest House" to make a donation. Your contribution will be matched dollar for dollar up to $100 thanks to the The Patterson Foundation. Presented by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. <3

Meet Anna Haeffner, Housing Manager, from Sarasota, FL

Although Anna spent most of her childhood outside of the continental US as a self-proclaimed “Army Brat”, she is a proud graduate of Booker High School and has called Sarasota home for the last 28 years. She is beyond honored to work with Harvest House and give back to her home community. “I have seen homelessness all around the world but I’ve come face to face with it the most while living here in Sarasota. It is incredible to work for an organization where I can literally have my boots on the ground and walk alongside people that feel lost and hopeless. Every day, we are carrying out a real solution that many can only dream about.”

It’s rare to find Anna at her desk, but she enjoys being an essential piece of our dynamic team as the Housing Manager. In addition to helping turn an apartment over for a new client and managing our inventory of donated furniture, you might find her re-mulching the playground at the Lee Wetherington Family Village, tending to the Grow-Box Garden projects, delivering mail to staff and clients at the various campuses, or - her favorite – signing a lease with a client. “It is so exciting to hand keys over to a new tenant. The look on their faces when they see a spacious, clean, freshly stocked apartment is priceless. Many times, they’ll cry tears of joy, and then I end up crying too. They usually don’t realize how nice their apartment really is until this moment. It’s often the first time their son or daughter will have their own room, or a kitchen to buy groceries for, or a community of neighbors – how could I not love this job?”

Harvest House was founded on the principle that a bed for a person going through a difficult time in their life, no matter the reason, should be a bed that is good enough for anyone to sleep in, including the founders themselves – Pastors Jim and Peggy Minor. “When I tell people where I work, they automatically think of a typical homeless shelter. What we offer is so much more – dignity, respect, hope, faith, love… the list doesn't end.” Anna hopes to see Harvest House grow with more properties to expand our reach in the region, especially with the #NewHeights program serving unaccompanied homeless youth ages 16-24.

Will you #BeTheOne to walk alongside our clients like Anna does? How will you #FindYourStorySRQ and be a part of the solution to end the cycle of homelessness and hopelessness? Mark your calendars and donate to Harvest House anytime between May 1st at Noon and May 2nd at Noon online at givingpartnerchallenge.org. Your donation will be matched up to $100, thanks to The Patterson Foundation. Share this story and use the hashtags #GivingChallenge2018 #FindYourStorySRQ and #BeTheOne !

Meet Jessica, Resident Manager at Harvest House from Sarasota, FL

Jessica serves as the Resident Manager for the women’s Freedom program, which houses 22 women recovering from addiction and substance abuse. Having won her own battle with addiction, Jessica is more than a manager for these women; she is a source of compassion and understanding during the most difficult time in their lives.

“What Harvest House does is so important. We come alongside someone struggling and help to strengthen them so they are able to find stability.” As a mother, some of her most joyful moments are when helps a mother in the program get her children back, like she did years ago. Jessica hopes to see Harvest House continue to expand housing opportunities for families and youth in the Sarasota and Manatee communities. She believes that affordable housing paired with a supportive team of staff members will give people the hand up they need. To learn more about Jessica’s story, check out her and her husband Pat’s testimony here: http://harvesthousecenters.org/success/

Will you #BeTheOne to help women recovering from addiction get back on their feet and never lose hope again? Consider making a contribution to Harvest House anytime between May 1st at Noon and May 2nd at Noon online at givingpartnerchallenge.org. Your donation will be matched up to $100 thanks to The Patterson Foundation! Share this story and use the hashtags #GivingChallenge2018 #FindYourStorySRQ and #BeTheOne!

Meet Cheryl Clunk, Director of Family Services, from Sarasota, Florida

Cheryl has played a lead role in creating and cultivating the three programs housed in the Department of Family Services: the Family Haven, Home Again, and New Heights. As the Director of the Department, she leads a team of six employees serving about 200 homeless families and unaccompanied homeless youth annually with Emergency, Transitional, and Permanent Supportive Housing programs including wrap-around case management services and life-enrichment classes. Highly skilled in collaboration, Cheryl is crucial in the development and success of the Family Haven Alliance - a partnership between five organizations in Sarasota County that provide a streamlined response and comprehensive system of care to families who are homeless. Harvest House's Executive Director Erin Minor met Cheryl when she joined the Harvest Church and served as the Children’s Pastor for two years. “She’s incredibly smart, witty, compassionate…When we received a grant from HUD in 2012 to serve families with permanent supportive housing, there was no doubt in my mind that Cheryl was the perfect fit to lead the charge.”

Cheryl exemplifies true leadership in the way she is dedicated to the Harvest House mission. It isn’t uncommon to find her on-campus after hours helping a family check in to an emergency unit at the Family Haven, or developing curriculum for the life-enrichment classes in response to the clients’ needs, or even taking her staff to hold a meeting at the park, helping the team decompress. When asked her about her favorite part of what Harvest House does, she said, “the way in which we truly love people – all people. It touches my heart to the very core to be part of a family that values people for who they are and strives to bring out the best in everyone.”

Cheryl has been a key part of the growth of our mission’s impact over the last five years, but she knows that our work is not done yet. She’s working diligently on creating more drop-in-centers and safe-places for young people. Still, she would like to see more housing units to expand current programs in Sarasota and Manatee Counties.

There is usually a waiting list for Family Services - a constant reminder that our community still needs us. 86% of Harvest House clients who moved into permanent housing have not returned to homelessness in the last 2 years, and we believe these clients benefitted most from the loving community found here at Harvest House. This community allows people to heal and feel a belonging in ways they may have never experienced before.

Will you #BeTheOne to give a young person a safe place to be when they have nowhere to go? Find your story by helping a single-mother write a better story for her children. Save the date and make a donation to Harvest House anytime between May 1st at Noon and May 2nd at Noon online at givingpartnerchallenge.org. Your donation will be matched up to $100, thanks to The Patterson Foundation. Share this story and use the hashtags #GivingChallenge2018 #FindYourStorySRQ and #BeTheOne !